Greater New Orleans

The attorney for Kelley Morgan, who is suing Baton Rouge Police Department and the city-parish, claims Morgan was fired over a dispute between fired Baton Rouge Police Chief Dewayne White and Mayor-President Kip Holden regarding the handling of Morgan's discrimination complaints. Holden was served with the lawsuit Dec. 27, 2013.
(NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune)

A police trainee forced to resign, later rehired and then fired from the Baton Rouge Police Department claims she was discriminated against because she’s a black woman. The city-parish and BRPD have little more than a week to respond to a lawsuit alleging sexual and racial discrimination.

Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden was served with the lawsuit Dec. 27 brought by former BRPD cadet Kelley Morgan, court documents show. The city-parish has until Jan. 10 to respond.

Jill Craft, attorney for the former cadet Kelley Morgan, claims Morgan was ultimately fired because she was “caught in the crossfire” of a dispute between Holden and former BRPD Chief Dewayne White about how to handle Morgan’s initial discrimination complaint.

Morgan filed the suit in 19th Judicial District Court, months after she made her claims of discrimination public during her testimony during a hearing in defense of White. White called Morgan to testify during hearings appealing his termination to show he made efforts to resolve the department’s systemic discrimination.

Morgan claims her supervisor, a police seargent, subjected her to “offensive, unwelcome, derogatory comments,” regarding her race and gender starting the first day of training on July 30, 2012. The seargent, Morgan claims, told Morgan on the first day she was a “bulls eye” and “I don’t like you and I don’t want you here.”

She claims she was penalized more than her peers when the seargent forced her to carry a boom box and desk lamp after forgetting her radio and flashlight at home, the lawsuit says. He also told her at a Nov. 6. 2012, meeting following the radio and flashlight incident that she hadn’t addressed her “nappy” hair as previously he instructed, the lawsuit says. Craft said Morgan had never been instructed regarding her hair, so she suggested the seargent meant to refer to the only other black female cadet. The seargent then reportedly remarked that “all blacks” look alike, the lawsuit says.

During the Nov. 6 meeting, the seargent reportedly told Morgan because she wouldn’t take responsibility for leaving her equipment, as well as other reasons, she would be fired if she didn’t resign. He advised her, according the lawsuit, to resign rather than be fired in order to get another job because he knew she was “a black mother.”

Craft said Morgan, a single mother of two, is now pursuing an education in the health care industry.

White rehired Morgan for a short time in the traffic department after she requested a meeting with him Nov. 20 and told him of the discrimination. White initially told her she could continue being paid as a trainee but later realized that wasn’t possible, the lawsuit says.

Less than two months before Holden fired White, the mayor allegedly forced the chief to fire Morgan, though Holden denies it was his directive. Craft said Holden apparently stepped into the situation at the behest of the police union.

“The mayor promised he was going to conduct this whole investigation,” Craft said. “Well, that never happened.”

BRPD spokesman Cpl. L’Jean McKneely said the department does not comment on ongoing litigation.